What is a levirate marriage?

Answer

A levirate marriage is essentially a form of marriage where a man marries his deceased brother’s widow to ensure the continuation of the family line. The term “levirate” originates from the Latin word “levir,” meaning “a husband’s brother.” This practice was common in ancient times when a man passed away without offspring, and his brother would marry the widow to produce an heir for the deceased. The first son born from this union was legally considered the descendant of the deceased husband.

The Bible provides examples of levirate marriage, such as the account of Tamar and Onan in Genesis 38. Tamar was initially married to Er, Judah’s son, who died childless (Genesis 38:6-7). Judah instructed Er’s brother, Onan, to fulfill his duty by marrying Tamar and providing offspring for his deceased brother (verse 8). Although Onan agreed to the physical aspect of the marriage, he deliberately avoided impregnating Tamar out of selfish motives, leading to God’s judgment and his death (verse 9-10).

The practice of levirate marriage was later incorporated into the Law in Deuteronomy 25:5–6. This law mandated that if a man died childless, his brother was obligated to marry the widow to ensure her care and the continuation of the family line. This duty was referred to as “the duty of a brother-in-law” by God «If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the deadShall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her.” , (Deuteronomy 25:5). God’s purpose for levirate marriage is stated: “The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel” (verse 6). In ancient Israel, the passing on of the family name and the inheritance within a tribe were vitally important; see Numbers 36:7 and 1 Kings 21:3.

Another example of levirate marriage in the Bible is the story of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth’s first husband died without leaving a child (Ruth 1:1-5). Later, Ruth met a rich landowner named Boaz in Bethlehem, and he happened to be a relative of Ruth’s late husband “And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.” , (Ruth 2:20). Ruth asked Boaz to be her “kinsman-redeemer”; that is, to marry her and preserve the land her husband had owned “And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” , (Ruth 3:9). Boaz agreed but informed Ruth that there was one other relative of nearer kin; the obligation to marry Ruth and redeem her land fell on him first (verse 12). As it turned out, the nearer relative officially transferred his right of redemption to Boaz, clearing the way for Boaz to marry Ruth and “maintain the name of the dead with his property” “Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Nao

mi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased, to raise up the name of the deceased upon his inheritance.”, (Ruth 4:5).

In Matthew 22, Jesus is confronted by the Sadducees with a complex question based on the Law’s requirement of levirate marriage: “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” (Matthew 22:24-28). Jesus cuts through the hypothetical and teaches the reality of the resurrection (verses 29–32).

Levirate marriage has fallen out of favor in modern Judaism and is more or less an extinct practice today. But its existence among the ancient Israelites, even before the Law of Moses, shows the importance placed on continuing the family line and preserving one’s divinely appointed inheritance.